Shoe.



:Patented May ee, 1903.

tPAT-IWT OFFIcE.

WILLIAM LANZ;y oF, cHIoAeo, ILLINOIS.

SSHOE.;

sPEoIFIcAT'IoN forming pare efI Lemiers fratene No. 729,361, dated May 2e, 1903. Application filed December 6, 1902i Serial No. 134,206. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM LANZ, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Shoes, 'of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to an improved shield or guard designed to prevent engagement with the hooks of shoes, boots, leggings, gaiters, and other footwear, adapted to be secured by lacing with the hem, lace, fringe, or open-work of skirts or other articles of apparel.

The invention hasfor its object to provide a shield or guard of the character referred to which does not appear as an independent part of the shoe, but'is preferably contained within or located entirely under the upper of the shoe, so asV not to detract from the appearance of the shoe. f

The invention also contemplates the provision of a shield or guard adapted to deect the object or material from the sides as wellj as the front of the hooks, it being readily un? derstood that the hem or open-work of a skirt is more likely to engage the lower side of the hooks than the front thereof, inasmuch as the lower side is in the line of pull of the ar'- ticle of apparel. v

The invention comprises generally a laced vshoe having surface recesses adjacent to each of the meeting edges of its upper and lacinghooks located within such recesses; and it consists of the parts and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, particularly designated in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a'perspective ofa shoe, showing my improved guard or shield applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a section on the lineof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line y of Fig.A 1. Fig. 4 is a detail of the pad formingthe guard or shield. Fig. 5 is a portion of a shoe-upper having a modified form of the guard or shield applied thereto, and Fig. 6 is a section on the line z z of Fig. 4L.

In the drawings I have shown an ordinary shoe 10, provided at the top and near the front edge of the upper thereof with the usual lacinghooks 11, designed to be engaged by lacings12 for securing the shoe on the foot.

The shield or guard consists of a pad 13, made of a yielding or elastic material, such as rubber or' leather, located back of the row of hooks at each edgeof the shoe-upper and adapted to deflect therefrom or over the same any obj ect or material coming in contact with or brushing against the foot or leg and preventing engagement of the same with the hooks. The pad 13 is chamfered or tapered from its edge adjacent the hooks 11 toward its rear edge and is preferably secured to the inside of the shoe-upper. A pocket' 14, conforming to the shape of the pad, is formed in the shoe-upper by pressing the latter outwardly, as shown, by suitable dies, and as thus arranged the,` shoulder 15 is provided adjacent the row of hooks, which gradually tapers off into the shoe-upper, as shown in Figs.` 2.. and 3. Preferably the pad 13 is provided with a scalloped edge, Fig. 4, each of the outwardly-bowed or forwardly-projecting rounded portions 16 extending in between adjacent pairs of the hooks l1, as shown in Fig. 1. As will be seen on referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the pad taperson its outer face from the front edge of the bowed portions 16, which extend to or substantially to thefront of the hooks 11, thereby projecting from the face of theV shoe-upper beyond the Vopeningof the hooks, as indicated by the dotted line, Fig. 3. The hooks being located in the recesses 17 between the bowed portions 16, it results that -the 'sides as well as the front of the hook are guarded and engagement therewith by any object or material effectually avoided. The pad may be secured within the pocket 14, as shown in the sectional views, Figs. 2, 3, and 6. As there illustrated, an inner facing 18 is provided, between which and an interposed backing 19 the pad is securedpto the upper at the rear edge by stitching andat the front edge by the riveted hooks 11 or in any other suitable manner. The pad 13 may have a forwardly-extending webH2O, through which the fastening means pass to assist in securing the same.

Instead of forming the pad with a scalloped edge it may be made as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the shoulder formed by the front edge of the tapering pad 21 being straight. Here, too,

the pad is chamfered or tapered, as shown in Fig. 6, and may be secured in place in the same manner as the scalloped guard or shield shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The guard or shield may be placed a sullicient distance from the hooks to permit of the entrance of the lacing, although it would readily yield to accommodate the same. Moreover, because of the iexibility of the guard or shield, due to the f act that the pad thereof is a comparatively thin strip and secured within the shoe-upper itself, no stiffness is imparted to the shoe, which readily adapts itself to the movement of the foot of the wearer, as in the case of the ordinary shoe.

It is to be understood that the present invention is adapted in its use not only to shoes or boots, but also to leggings, gaiters, and other footwear provided with hooks engaged by lacings for securing the saine to the wearer.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with a shoe having lacing-hooks, a pad secured to the shoe-upper and having a shoulder facing the hooks and tapering rearwardly and inwardly from the shoulder.

2. In combination with a shoe having lacing-hooks and the upper of which is provided with a rearwardly and inwardly tapering pocket on its inner face providing a shoulder at the front of the same adjacent the hooks,

a yielding pad secured in the said pocket and conforming to the contour of the same.

3. In combination with a shoe having lacing-hooks, a yielding pad secured to the inner side of the shoe-upper and provided with a scalloped shoulder the outwardly-bowin g portions of which extend between adjacent pairs of the hooks.

4. In combination with a shoe having a lacing-hook and the upper of which is provided with a pocket on its inner face decreasing in depth rearwardly from the hooks, a pad 1ocated in and conforming to the contour of the pocket.

5. In combination with a shoe or the like having lacing-hooks, a guard or shield having a shoulder which bows inwardly between adjacent pairs of hooks and extends the entire length of the sides as well as at the front of the hooks above the openings thereof.

6. A shoe-upperhaving surface recesses adjacent to the meeting edges thereof, and lacing-hooks located within such recesses.

7. A laced shoe having surface recesses in its upper adjacent to and opening toward the meeting edges thereof, and hooks located within such recesses.

VILLIAM LANZ.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR B. SEIBOLD, Louis K. GILLsoN, 

